The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-04-08
whit is sniiarfaulsu,."

PIMA, 0Slli t4ttA III Liit ANEH 0ileitL ilyu0t
on Wednesday evening. We print it al
the solicitation of members Of the Unitar.
ian denominations
Mr.. May remarked, first. that 10 one
speaks for Uni.aranism with any other au-
thOrity than that Of an observer. We have
absolutely no creed, and no formal author
ity in the name Of which one can speak
One can only describe, as well as he may,
what the prevailing convictions Of actual
Unitarans appear to have been and to be.
And more than this: Unitarianism is
not a system of precise beliefs, so much as
Il body Of great faiths. An orthodox be-
lever can readily recite his beliefs, for they
arc formulated in his creed. The Unitar-
ian must form his opinions for himself. and
such personal convictions will seldom have
the definite ran Of theological dogma.
Then. further, Unitarianism has never made
belief the main thing in religion. but char
acter Beliefs are of great Importance. but
they ale not of prime Importance. Here
we strictly and clearly follow Jesus. as he
speaks in the Sermon on the Mount. More
over, on many great points, it is impossible
that human conception and so human be-
lief, should be definite These points too
far transcend the scope Of human inteli-
genee. Reserve, therefore, is right, and
reverent and spiritually wholesome. Theol-
ogy has often been almost profane in its
audaeiiy OF defined statements ABOUT Ill
VINE things.
Accordingly, III regard, Tor example, to
the oelh@ ana nature OF "oa, we ehitaf-
lans rest III an assured, nearly ana feVef-
ing faith III Ills beng, HIS providence, Ills
goodness, lis loVe. we oelleFc INN ac-
cesslpte thfou9h true, spiritual prayers.
All the hlghest moral qotiitles We can COLI
celVe we aseribc to ltIm. Above all other
symbols OF Ills relation to US we love to
think OF Him as Jesus did, as our spiritual
rather. But our movement received ITS
name because we refuse to pry INTO the Sc
crets OF the Divine Personality aud iormu-
late such statement as that OF the trinity.
we know the origin oil TINS dogma. 1T dld
not come from Jesus, or his Apostles. 1t
was wholly un-llebrew. 1t Was congo
NAL product OF Greek metaphysics, and is
inconsistent with the prevailing tenor OF
the New testament SAINT Panl knew
nothing OF 1t: lie was strictly Unitarian.
Inc Objection OF early nltanaps to the
doctrine oil che trinity was It's beng I'M
Scriptnrali at present, the Whoie cohtfo-
yefSy mas ceased TO nave an active interest
Tor us he lnadequacy oil all attempts to
express the ruin OF Jelty III definite terms
is acuteiy feit by us. what most interests us
is the moral character ascroed to- tod Here
we Untarians are all at one We have in
sisted on the 9eodhesso OF TOD. We refuse to
Delieve OF Hlm anything winch our own
moral nature REJECTS as unworthy mus,
we feJect sueh doctrines as that oil Tue total
dcpraflfy ol man, because IL dislohofS
man maker, as Wen as man hiinselii ana
tilat Oh eternal punishment because IL is
utterly inconsistent Win peliei III "ou
goodness; ana we REJECT likewise the doc
trne OF the sacrliiclal atonement, as not
only inscflpturai ana iiiogleai, bnt because
1T STANDS or lails WIN inc otlefs JUST
named. oh inc ether ilaha' eeiiei IN eoa
goodness ctrfies Win II coilildeiice III Ills
lorgNlnS love, a.ii VI the iiiial redemption
ana perfection OF an htlihaii SOUS. IN
somewhat similar spirit we hoia TO iile I'M
moranty Oh man. ~ Is posltlve theory OF
our nature denianaca 10y the aishiiy ana
reason III cfea.ioli, anu ,iie ioSiGal eoiiae-
queht OF our pclie =. IN 3ou as our at2ef.
RAISING TO inc hitaiiaii we" "t Jesus
~ ms'o Ic,'''t ~ '..0 ~
aona,4toa H., tradit;a,,oi -, -
dii,,o ro,.olat;nr IN rar,,,
oii ~ Snhstanco Tho nroorass If sol'n1ar
In hos rrreoti,, cbangod or, Live
on;p;nns On This no;nf We now l,nnw
that t,,a pibla l. MT haol, h,,t Iitora-
t tn,.e W. ,,no,, ,,eh If tla nr;oi, 81 ti,is
i;torot,ro which vac NOT known AVIAN mir
~ W. roars a@o II is Main not oniv that The
I;stor;nal 6nol,s ,rerc yrritten mostly b,,p.
drodc of yaars after thc alleged ovcnfs
tha, doso,;be bnt also that the;r anthors
did No. nnderstand their own history Tha
ua,'rnsnntation IF the IIahra,y rcn,,lo as
n,anntboists from, tho outset and a. NOS.
sasend of an elaborate law from ihe ONT.
sot l. ,rbolly orronenus Tho TInbraxv no
1ics;o, crow as others have W. now rnad
- eo,iot,,rac nat,,raIlv as We rood ,tbor
T IT,. Tha;r ,,aa,Il;,r 5,lorv ~ ,hot
.hor, NO sot,,rsted Win tha eonse IF cod
ho,a Tho,r vaI,, Is as nresnntino ,,s III,
ti,o 1o,a1o,n,ont Of o,ir ow,, 1oIis,;n,,s
tho,rrI,t Much which in farm, tl,o, com
ta;n n,,r broader and orandcr mo6orp
o,Ia,o IF rat,,re leadS ms 10 Law asida
r. ~, o,,o,tS loScrihad as miraculous ~.
a,,',od ,,o,,rosontod .fev n,,,st he ro-
o.a.l 10 Of ,at,'rai ,.o+
sS,n aiI,. 80 l''''''''''
"" wv n.,.
Inc better understanding o. INC p'oie e
literature, ot tue slate Oh thosc ,l'leS, oi
the laws OF Thought, anu particularly our
larger we" OF inc universe anu W'oer sci
ehtlhc Khowled5e nave operated TO ihooily
our views OF inc history ana nature ol
Jesus. our pody mas actnalIy passed
through seVerai phases OF tRonsht, ana
much diversity OF view actually prefailS
among us on TINS point. Early Unitarian.
ism was Arian, .. e.: JESUS was regarded